Doctor Archive
Thread: Can someone translate what Thunderheart wrote?
Here is his response to a question on buffs.
Are there any details about how buffs will be effected in the upcoming combat balance?
The only details available at this point are that we are going to look at all the numbers. The types of things that will change is that multi-thousand point HAM buffs will not be available. Over time, as various combat variables have increased in scale such as armor resistances, weapon efficiencies, equipment slices, buffs have also been pushed beyond balanced limits by exceptionally smart players. As this information works its way through the community, it tilts all the numbers to an extreme imbalance. During the combat balance, we will look at these numbers and also post focus threads on any proposed changes. One thing to remember though is that the HAM revamp is going to change the dynamics of combat so it makes comparing old system and new system numbers difficult to realize in terms of raw game play.
Message Edited by alpinestreams on 06-10-2004 10:36 PM
P.S never truly read it until now, that bites
alpinestreams wrote:
buffs have also been pushed beyond balanced limits by exceptionally smart players.
DerelictTanee wrote:
I agree with you there LordOfFatness, the buffing system shouldn't be about a total "point " number but rather a percentage of the target's base HAM value.
I've been wondering for a little while now whether the buffing system would work if it was modified to something like this:
Buffpack-A = 20% of target's stat
Buffpack-B = 40% of target's stat
Buffpack-C = 60% of target's stat
Buffpack-D = 80% of target's stat
Or there abouts anyway... Then add on the factors of:
Wound Treatment skills = 5-10%
Droid's medical capability = 10%
Food if you have anything = 5-10%
Then the most you can get is 110% of the target's base HAM value. This will make Wookiees get a better buff than everyone else. This will also serve a purpose that since Wookiees can't wear as good armour as the rest of the population, they get a better buff result.
And to tell the truth, and what I tell my customers who bemoan about an 1800 buff. "Realise that any buff given to you which surpasses the 900-1000 mark you will not notice the overall effect. You will still be able to spam your specials without a care to worry about."
I've actually tested this. I've made and given myself a 1000 point buff on all 6 stats, then I gave myself my (current packs) 1800-2100 point buff on all stats. Both I ran missions with. I didn't take longer to complete a mission with a low end buff as compared to a high end buff.
Face it - being able to tank and repetatively taunt an Ancient Canyon Krayt Dragon while your mates with their guns peck at it safely is something that shouldn't be done. Yet... somehow... I've managed it... many a time...
- Health: 900
- Constitution: 300
- Strength: 300
- Action: 900
- Stamina: 300
- Quickness: 300
Using top of the line buffs (hit for 250%), the main stats would go to 3150, and the secondaries would go to only 1050. I don't think this would be too out of line. With this set up, encumberance would actually matter, and I might actually have to heal...*GASP*
BTW, sorry to hijack but I thought this deserved replying too 
WarFerret wrote:
Armour's getting nerfed as well, I guarantee it.
I'll be amazed if I can solo a gnort after the combat balance
CyberBob123 wrote:
alpinestreams wrote:
buffs have also been pushed beyond balanced limits by exceptionally smart players.
Does it actually take a genius to go "experimental properties OQ, SR, DR, lets get the best of those resources possible"?
NO
DerelictTanee wrote:
I agree with you there LordOfFatness, the buffing system shouldn't be about a total "point " number but rather a percentage of the target's base HAM value.
I've been wondering for a little while now whether the buffing system would work if it was modified to something like this:
Buffpack-A = 20% of target's stat
Buffpack-B = 40% of target's stat
Buffpack-C = 60% of target's stat
Buffpack-D = 80% of target's stat
Or there abouts anyway... Then add on the factors of:
Wound Treatment skills = 5-10%
Droid's medical capability = 10%
Food if you have anything = 5-10%
Then the most you can get is 110% of the target's base HAM value. This will make Wookiees get a better buff than everyone else. This will also serve a purpose that since Wookiees can't wear as good armour as the rest of the population, they get a better buff result.
And to tell the truth, and what I tell my customers who bemoan about an 1800 buff. "Realise that any buff given to you which surpasses the 900-1000 mark you will not notice the overall effect. You will still be able to spam your specials without a care to worry about."
I've actually tested this. I've made and given myself a 1000 point buff on all 6 stats, then I gave myself my (current packs) 1800-2100 point buff on all stats. Both I ran missions with. I didn't take longer to complete a mission with a low end buff as compared to a high end buff.
Face it - being able to tank and repetatively taunt an Ancient Canyon Krayt Dragon while your mates with their guns peck at it safely is something that shouldn't be done. Yet... somehow... I've managed it... many a time...
Hmm ... I don't think any buff should provide any more than a 30% health/action increase. The combat rebalance will be 'nerfing' weapons, armor, movement speed, HAM stats, etc. in anattempt to bring everything 'in line' with everything else. Buffs should be no different. As it is now, even a 1000 point buff is useful. After the weapon/special nerfs (which will be more significant than the armor nerfs, in my opinion) 1000 point buffs may still be too powerful.
Personally, I would like to see a game where a player didn't require buffs in order toengage in PvP. (Same goes for armor.) How many times do you see Han and Luke stopping for 'buffs' and armor in the movies and books? LoL. Doctor enhancements should be helpful, but not required--and they certainly shouldn't throw every other combat modifier out of balance. For once, I'd like to see combat that was decided by tactical skill, not bythepower of your buffs andstacked teamplates.
If nothing else, perhaps enhancement duration should be tweaked. Isn't a 3 hour buff a little much? Or maybe some formof 'downtime' shoud be exacted from the player after the buff has expired? You would think that usingenhancements to push your body to extremes would leave you fatigued, drained, and vulnerable. /shrug
Message Edited by Metherian on 06-11-2004 07:41 AM
CyberBob123 wrote:
alpinestreams wrote:
buffs have also been pushed beyond balanced limits by exceptionally smart players.
Does it actually take a genius to go "experimental properties OQ, SR, DR, lets get the best of those resources possible"?
No wonder there's so many things about this game that are screwed up. They consider you to be 'exceptionally smart' if you merely gather good resources and experiment on the results.
They must have just hired the 'smart' instead of the 'exceptionally smart' devs.
KamaKuro wrote:
You know.. if people are worried about the dependency on doc buffs leading to less demand, one though I had is that it may increase our demand as in-field healers, which would be just awesome..
Right now we buff, people go away, and docs are rarely needed in the field with the exception of the hardest POIs.. I would love for there to be more demand to 'Get a doc in the group'.
Gotta love the action!
Wow, that's interesting... That's exactly what about 1/3 of the anti-nerf-CMresponses say, "so you mean out of 20 combatants, you didn't have a single doctor???" I didn't realize that doctors felt the same way.
I swear there should be some profound statement here about single player game mentaility, not valuing doctors (not riflemen who can buff mind you, "real" doctors) no matter how muchpeople really need them (and then complaining when they *cough*unexpectedly*cough* die), and how hopefully the changes in armor and HAM will fix that. I'm too lazy to phrase it eloquently though.
Oh, KamaKuro is a MD-MCM. I didn't notice.I thought your name looked familear. Maybe I'm overgeneralizing from a single person...